The Key of Truth
by Randomnormality
Summary: Edward Elric finds himself pulled through the Gate, his brother left on the other side in the midst of a world at war. With the help of an ex-state Alchemist; Violet, Ed finds himself searching for The Key to the Gate..Ed/OC
1. The FinalStrike Alchemist

**Summary:**

**Edward Elric finds himself pulled back through the Gate, his brother left alone on the other side. Once again, he finds himself fighting through hell and fire to get his brother back, enlisting the help of an ex-State Alchemist, searching for a less bloody way of opening the Gate. Gaining knowledge of the Key, Edward begins searching for a way to locate the Key, his newcompanion, Violet McCloud, constantly pulling at his curiosities.**

**Disclaimer:**

**I do not own FullMetal Alchemist, but this plot is purely my own design.**

**Chapter One- The FinalStrike Alchemist**

_"What the hell!" Edward Elric gasps as solid black tentacles wrap around his body, hoisting him from the ground below._

_Feeling a hand, smaller than his own, grip his own, he glances over his shoulder, his sulfur-gold eyes peering down at his younger brother. Alphonse Elric, barely seventeen years old, struggled to keep his brother from being dragged into the vortex. Feeling his gloved hand begin to slip, Ed shifts his gaze from his hand to his brothers terrified face._

_"Brother!" the small voice of his brother cried out in desperation._

_Seeing his brother's feet leave the ground, Edward glanced down at their joined hands once more. Swallowing his own fear, Edward looks back into the golden-brown eyes of his younger brother, "Al! I'm sorry!"_

_Releasing the grasp, his brother hitting the ground below, the darkness enveloped him, his brother's saddened eyes fading into the darkness._

_"Al!"_

The prone body of Edward Elric jerked into an upright position, his chest heaving with labored breaths. Wide, fearful gold eyes frantically searching the room he found himself in. Inwardly questioning where he was, Edward swung his legs over the bed, his automail leg glinting in the sunlight seeping into the room.

"You're awake," a soft voice whispered, causing him to glance up at the open doorway.

Standing in the doorway, a pretty brunette, about two years younger than him, leaned against the door frame, her light brown eyes filled with an innocence he had only ever seen in one other person. The girl didn't bother saying another word as she entered the room, silently handing him the glass of water. Ignoring the gaze, Edward drank the water, his parched throat burning at the sudden liquid passing through.

"Who are you? Where am I?" Edward questioned after draining the glass of its contents.

"My name is Katherine Willows and you are in my home. I found you lying on the riverbed. I would've taken you to the hospital, but people in this town are known for not taking well to State Alchemists," Edward felt his shoulders tense at the words, his gaze snapping up to meet her own, "I was checking your pockets for any sort of identification. May I ask your name?"

"Edward," he paused, "Do you have a phone I can use?"

The girl smiled warmly, "Of course. It's in the study. You are more than welcome to use it. I'll go make some food, since I'm sure you must be starving."

Despite his current state of being, Edward found himself smiling softly at the kind girl. Something about her reminded him so much of Al, maybe it was the almost naive sense of kindness she seemed to have. Getting out of the bed, Ed made his way out of the room and eventually found the study. Entering the room, his gaze instantly glancing over the several bookcases, he made his way to the desk. Dialing a familiar number, he inhaled deeply.

"Hawkeye speaking," a familiar sharp feminine voice barked into the phone.

"Hey Hawkeye, it's Edward," he paused as a gasp sounded on the other line, "Can I speak to Mustang? I seem to be in a strange situation."

"Just a moment, FullMetal," the woman replied.

A few seconds later, Ed felt his shoulders tense as a familiar, arrogant voice seeped through the phone, "Edward? Please tell me this is some sick joke."

"I wish."

* * *

Rain poured from the darkened sky above as a lone silver-shined black wolf dashed through the open field. Sharp green eyes focused on the lone human sitting on the top of a hill, legs crossed, pale hands resting in their lap. Slowing its fast pace to a stalk, the wolf came to a sudden stop beside the darkly dressed figure. Laying down beside the human, the wolf made a slight whine from the back of its throat.

"I know, Kayden," Silver-violet eyes slid open slowly, the seated figure glancing up at the broken heavens, "Something doesn't feel right to me either."

Another whine caused the young woman to look down at the wolf, her limp hand moving to rest between the animal's ears, "I agree. A rather bad storm does seem to be approaching. Do me a favor and fetch the others for me. I have a feeling this is just the beginning."

The wolf moved to stand, its tongue running over the girl's wrist before it dashed away once more. Silver-violet eyes watched solemnly as the graceful animal moved across the field, "I love you too."

* * *

The boot-clad foot of an automail leg connected with the wooden door of a familiar office, Edward Elric entering the office of Colonel Roy Mustang on his own accord. Still to this day, Edward seethed as the dark-haired Alchemist didn't bother looking up from his paperwork. The older man motioned to the seat across from him, the seething young-adult sitting down with a thump.

"I thought you said you can help me," Ed snapped, his irritation flowing through his words.

Parting with Katherine just the other day was harder than he wanted to admit. In the short span of two days, Ed found himself growing an attachment to the girl, who reminded him so much of his brother. He remembered the satchel of money she gave him, ordering him to not open it until he was settled into his seat. After opening the contents of the satchel, Ed found himself promising himself that he would pay her back, no matter what.

"Relax, FullMetal. I, myself, cannot assist you. One, I am a rather busy man, and two, you and I both know, I don't have much experience with the Gate," Before Ed could interrupt, Mustang held up his hand, silencing the younger boy, "but, I do have an old acquaintance of mine that I contacted. Anything there is to know about Alchemy, and McCloud knows it. And if not in mind, McCloud definitely knows of places where one can find information on any Alchemy subject."

Before Ed could reply, a firm knock sounded on the door. Much to Ed's irritation, Mustang stood from his desk as he called for the person to enter. Glancing over his shoulder, his irritation faded at the sight of a petite, ebony-haired girl. Sharp silver-violet eyes barely paid mind to him as she approached the desk. Ed found himself looking over her pale face, a single scar marking her left temple. Dressed in a long-sleeved black shirt, a silver-trimmed purple, high collared vest thrown over it, the girl's curves were obvious as Ed glanced her over. Solid purple leggings covered her legs from underneath a pair of black shorts, boots firmly connected to the floor with each step she took.

"Violet, it's good to see you again," Mustang greeted, his usually mocking black eyes softening just a bit at the sight of the girl.

Watching as she slid into the seat beside him, Ed's gaze locked onto the pale hand, covered by a black fingerless glove, that moved to support her chin, "Afternoon, Mustang. I will admit that it has been awhile. I'm afraid I've been rather busy as of lately."

"I'm sure you have. You must be wondering why I called you here," Mustang motioned to Ed, who found himself on the receiving end of her passive gaze, "This is Edward, the FullMetal Alchemist."

Something unreadable flickered through the silver-violet eyes before they turned back on Mustang, "You're lucky I was passing on my way through here, otherwise I honestly wouldn't be here. Now, let's cut to the chase. Tell me why you asked for my audience."

"FullMetal is looking for a way to open the Gate," Mustang seemed to hold back a sigh at the cocked eyebrow he received, "A way that doesn't require the blood of a human."

"And you're asking for my help why? As much as I appreciate you understanding my innate ability of finding information, I cannot just help some random kid look for information that could potentially lead to everyone in this world being at risk," the girl replied calmly.

Ed's hand clenched the arm of the chair as Mustang let out a sigh, "I called you because you are the best of the best. He needs to open the Gate."

"I have more pressing matters to attend to than helping some dumb kid get his hands on valuable information," she retorted with boredom.

"Damn it! Either you help me, or I'll find someone who will!" Ed snapped, his right hand clenching the wooden arm rest, causing it to crack under the pressure.

A snort came from the strange girl, "Right. Because there is anyone else that knows where to find such information. Look, Mustang," the girl stood up, "I appreciate you acknowledging my talents, but I left the Military for a reason. I'm not to be used as a tool, and while I know that isn't your intention, I cannot begin to understand why I should help someone I don't know."

"You're leaving!" Edward snapped to his feet as the girl headed for the door, "You're just going to leave, without hearing Mustang out?"

A firm hand settled on his shoulder and in a split moment, Ed found himself sitting once more, Mustang standing beside his chair, "FullMetal was pulled through the Gate for some unknown reason, and his brother is left on the other side, in a world torn apart by a world at war," Ed found himself falling silent as the girl pauses at the door, her hand resting on the doorknob, "Now, are you going to help, or not?"

"Mustang, I'd love to help, but I don't exactly have the same military perks that I once had. The only place I can think of, to find such information, is completely out of my clearance level," she replied.

Mustang smirked, "Do you honestly think I wouldn't give you the clearance you need?"

A moment of silence filled the air before the girl let out a sigh, nodding her head, "Alright, I'll do it," Turning on heel, Violet moved to stand before Ed, "Give me your hand." Extending his hand, Ed found himself on the receiving end of a sharpened glare, "Your _human_ hand." Before he could react, the girl stripped his left hand of its glove and a sharp pain registered in his mind as something sharp dragged along his palm. Watching wide-eyed as the girl dragged the same blade along her own left hand before clasping both injured hands together.

"What the hell?" Ed gasped out as something seemed to shock through him.

Meeting the silver-violet eyes, Ed fell silent, allowing the girl to speak, "Swear it. Swear to me that finding all of this information, opening the Gate, is in no way an act of self-service. Swear to me, that this is not for your own selfish gain."

"I swear it," Ed stuttered out, slightly confused as the shock seemed to intensify. "I swear I'm doing this all for Al."

Her strangely colored eyes flickered again, "Then I swear, that I will do anything, and everything, within my abilities to get your brother back to you."

A sharpened shock caused him to yank his hand from her grasp. Hearing her tell him that they leave in two days at nine in the morning, he watched as the strange girl left the room just as silently as she came. Turning to Mustang, who stared at the closed door, Ed demanded answers.

"Her name is Violet McCloud. She was the second youngest person to become a State Alchemist, you being the first obviously, and the first female State Alchemist. She went by The FinalStrike Alchemist," At Ed's piercing glare, Mustang allowed his fingers to wind together as his elbows moved to rest on his desk, "She resigned from the Military almost three years ago."

"What did she do to me?" Ed demanded.

"A Blood Oath," Ignoring the suddenly exclaimed echo, Mustang continued, "A Blood Oath is pretty much a pact made between two people. She wants to make sure that everything she is about to help you with is something that is truly not for your own selfish gain. And, with the basic Equivalent Exchange, she made a pact with you, that she would help you with everything she could. If either one breaks their oath, they will end up living a cursed life."

"Cursed life? Like how?"

Mustang shrugged, "I do not know. It's not something she runs around doing with everyone. If my count is correct, you are her seventh Blood Oath." Ed couldn't contain the echoing of that number, causing Mustang to glare sharply, "Yes. You are her seventh. Her younger brother was her first Blood Oath, followed by her three closest friends. The fifth one was myself and the sixth one..." Mustang paused, looking into the eyes of the FullMetal Alchemist, "The sixth Blood Oath she made was made with Alphonse Elric."


	2. Train of Thoughts

**Summary:**

**Edward Elric finds himself pulled back through the Gate, his brother left alone on the other side. Once again, he finds himself fighting through hell and fire to get his brother back, enlisting the help of an ex-State Alchemist, searching for a less bloody way of opening the Gate. Gaining knowledge of the Key, Edward begins searching for a way to locate the Key, his new companion, Violet McCloud, constantly pulling at his curiosities.**

**Disclaimer:**

**I do not own FullMetal Alchemist, but this plot is purely my own design.**

**Chapter Two- Train of Thoughts  
**

Edward Elric raced through the streets of Central, his watch reading five minute before nine. He hated his habitual knack for being late. For the past two days, all Ed could think about was the words Mustang left him with in his office. Violet knew his brother. She made a Blood Oath with him. Something happened. Something must have happened that caused Al to actually perform such a ritual. What was the oath? What could Al possibly swear to a strange girl who seemed rather creepy in the most part?

Arriving at the station, Ed was relieved to see people still boarding the train. Sweeping his gaze over the crowd of people, he eventually caught sight of the familiar petite girl. She seemed to be speaking on the phone just next to the ticket booth. Her silver-violet eyes met his own and as he approached he barely caught her telling the person good bye and hanging up. The girl was still dressed the same as before, but a hooded trench coat draped over her clothing.

"Good morning, Edward," she greeted passively, her silver-violet eyes looking him over briefly, "Let's get on board before the train decides to leave without us."

Climbing aboard the train and finding their seats, Ed was surprised to find himself in the First Class section, each set of seats arranged within their own private cabins. Entering their cabin, Ed placed his belongings on the rack above their heads, Violet mirroring his moves behind him. Taking their seats, Violet didn't bother striking up a conversation as one of the train attendants came to their cabin, requesting their tickets. Violet instantly handed the man two tickets, to which the man punched them before handing them back.

As the compartment door slid shut, Ed turned his gaze on the girl, "Where are we headed exactly?"

The girl's eyes moved to the ceiling of their compartment, "We are heading to Puenimos. It's a trade-market town. While we are searching for a way to get your brother back, we also need to keep in mind, that someone pulled you through the Gate with a purpose. Now, while I am aware you care little about anything other than bringing your brother back, I cannot begin to allow myself to ignore the fact that someone opened the Gate. Someone must have spilled innocent blood in order to do so and I intend to find out who it is."

"Why?" Ed found him gaze locked with her own once again, "I mean, the Gate is the over-seeing deity to us Alchemists. It knows far more than humans ever could. So why do you feel the need to...protect it."

The gaze he found himself locked with turned to stare out of the window, the lurch of the compartment giving them to knowledge that they were now moving, "Do you know what my main job was for Mustang?" Ed shook his head, even though she wasn't watching him, "Mustang, he seems to know when people have special traits that allow them to succeed where others will fail. My ability to retain almost all knowledge bestowed upon me is a major asset to the Military. While other branches wished for me to be used for their advantages, Mustang was my lead commanding officer and as such he issued that my job was to ensure that the Gate was never opened again."

Ed's eyes widened with shock. Remembering the final moments between the invasion of Amestres, and him going back to the other side to shut the opened Gate, Mustang had taken his brother's place to shut the Gate on this side. Of course Mustang would find a way to ensure that there wasn't another way for someone to open the Gate.

"You must be a powerful Alchemist," Ed watched as she shrugged with a sense of indifference, "Why did you leave the Military if you were such a renowned State Alchemist?"

Something unreadable flickered through her gaze once more, "I'm surprised a protegee such as yourself didn't realize it before now. Three years ago, there was an accident I was involved in and my sight isn't as strong as it used to be. In fact, I can only see where people are depending on their auras."

"You're blind?" Ed exclaimed, his eyes meeting her eyes once more, "What do you mean aura?"

"Every person has their own personal aura. Families tend to have the same colors, only different accents of color pertaining to their individuality. Your brother, his aura was over all flanked with gold, but there was a rich red embedded into his aura. Your aura is a mixture of silver and gold. As a person experiences more things, new colors mix into their aura," she explains, Ed picking up on the silent acknowledgment that Violet did in fact know his brother.

"So, Mustang wasn't just fucking with me. You do know Al," he states, watching as her gaze moves back out of the window.

Her stoic face softens, a small smile forming on her lips, "Alphonse Elric is an enigma wrapped within mystery." As if she already knew Ed was going to ask her the reasons behind her words, she continued, "Red is mostly known for more dangerous experiences, but he always seems so naive in his mannerisms that throws me off quite a bit. Alphonse practically saved my life a few years ago, the two of you having been split up at the time. The stark differences between his personality and his experiences led me to believe that for someone so young, he had done something very dangerous at one time."

Her eyes seemed to soften as she paused, whatever thought that raced through her mind being a complete mystery to him, "A few years ago, after I was pretty much dismissed from the Military, I began traveling. I was actually on a rather self-destructive path. How could I not be? I sacrificed so much and it didn't seem as though Equivalent Exchange was on my side. A friend of mine and I were in the midst of a fierce fight with two other Alchemists. I...I almost lost it that day, remembering everything that had happened, and now I was about to watch one of my only companions die before my eyes." Her eyes slid shut, "Then, that little brat came out of no where, shielding her from the attack."

Ed glared at the girl for calling his brother a brat, but the small smirk that formed on her lips caused him to lose his glare, "He introduced himself as Alphonse Elric. Raine immediately became enamored with the boy, and I found yet another person tagging along for the journey. While I resented him at first, something about him caused me to grow a soft spot for the kid."

"So, what's with the Blood Oath Mustang told me about?"

A smirk formed on her lips, "That's kind of the more amusing thing. During my time traveling with him and Raine, Al often spoke of his older brother, and how he hoped to find a way to bring him back. Even though everyone swore the proclaimed FullMetal Alchemist was dead, he was always determined to prove people wrong. I made him swear to keep my secret, and in return, I would do my best to help him find information on bringing his older brother back."

Ed fell silent. Something about all of this sounded familiar. Didn't all mention traveling with some girl named Raine? He never mentioned another girl named Violet. There was another Alchemist he spoke of. Peering up at the girl across from him once more, he narrowed his eyebrows. Didn't Al mention someone named Jack?

"Who's Jack?" Violet quirked an eyebrow, "Al mentioned a girl named Raine, and an Alchemist by the name of Jack, but he never mentioned someone named Violet."

Violet shook her head, as if a thought flashed through her mind, "The reason you have never heard of me, was the Oath between Alphonse and I was that he could never speak of Violet McCloud, and in turn, I would help him find a way to get you back."

"So, you're the one that sent him to Leore during the battle. You knew the Gate was going to open before it did," Ed figured out, his eyebrows knitting together in thought.

Violet didn't deny, or agree to the accusation, but instead tilted her head to the side, "I had some pressing matters to attend to, but I remembered reading about a massive destruction of the original city of Leore, so I sent Alphonse to see if he could find anything."

Ed fell silent. It all made sense. Al said he had arrived just in time, Armstrong and Rose having been there. Leore was where it all originally happened. Where Ed made his sacrifice. The place where the final fight with The Father happened. Everything made sense. If this girl was able to retain all knowledge, almost like Seshka, than it would make sense that she would remember the battle.

"He was sad," her voice pulled him from his thoughts, "He tried to hide it, but my enhanced senses picked up on it easily. He hated knowing he regained his body, but you were supposed to leave everything you've known behind for a world unknown to you." Ed had no idea where that had come from, but her eyes moved to gaze at his face, his mind registering the realization of her gaze unable to focus on a certain point on his face, "Alphonse would've given everything up to get you back, and I there was one point that he was considering doing so."

Ed flinched. After everything, Al would've thrown it away to get him back. The thought caused his chest to fill with a swirling warmth. A soft smile formed on his lips, but his mind registered the fact that Al was contemplating it at some point. Something had stopped him. Maybe his memories? No, Al mentioned that he hadn't remembered anything, just names and faces. Maybe out of instinct, then? Yeah.

"So, why did they call you the FinalStrike Alchemist?" Ed asked, hoping to change the subject.

Violet chuckled, her throaty laughter huskier than most of the girls he had ever met, "In the midst of a fight, I take more to hand-to-hand combat more than using Alchemy to meet my commands. I only use Alchemy to finish the fight, hence the name."

"Who did you fight during your Exam?" Ed asked, finding the girl's fighting style interesting.

A smirk appeared on her lips, a smirk he had seen once before, but it was on a different face, "Colonel Mustang," Ed chuckled, remembering his own fight against Mustang, "...and Lt. Armstrong."

Ed choked on his snickering, eyes widening with shock, "What?"

"It was originally with Armstrong, but Mustang had pissed me off before the Exam so I performed a maneuver that caused one of Armstrong's attacks to barely miss hitting the bastard," Ed didn't bother hiding his laughter, "Mustang became angry and had aimed his own attack at us, and I was stuck in the middle of still fighting Armstrong, and trying to dodge Mustang's attacks. I was able to best Mustang, just barely, but Armstrong was able to finish me off."

Ed's laughter eased into chuckles before he became silent once more, his head tilting to the side in thought, "If you lost your fight against Armstrong, how did you become a State Alchemist?"

"The judges were impressed with my abilities with Alchemy," Violet replied easily, her body shifting to allow her to lay back on the seat, her hands folded behind her head, "So, tell me about your adventures. Alphonse often said he wished he could tell everyone about them, but he didn't remember most of it."

Ed smiled before delving into the tales of the adventures of the Elric Brothers. He watched as her face transformed with each story. Some of them were harder to talk about than others, but she was insistent about listening. So, this was what Al was talking about. All those stories Al had talked about, he often said it was so easy become comfortable with the travelers. Violet had to have been one of them. It was impossible to deny. The girl didn't hold anything against him as he told her of some of his less than finer moments. She didn't seem disgusted with the things he had to do to ensure they would succeed in their missions.

His tales filled the compartment with an air of comfort and he was surprised to find that they had arrived at their destination. Gathering their things, Ed wondered how the girl, who couldn't see things the way he could, was able to move as if she could see perfectly fine. He hopped off the train, watching as Violet followed, setting her suitcase down. Stretching her arms above her head, Ed opened his mouth to ask his question when a black blur tackled the girl. Fear forced his body to tense at the sight of a wolf standing over the form of Violet, silver flecks coloring the dark coat. Watching as the wolf's muzzle moved toward the girl's exposed throat, Ed dropped his own suitcase, his hands moving wide as he readied his attack.


	3. The Prodigy Vs The Infamous

**Summary:**

**Edward Elric finds himself pulled back through the Gate, his brother left alone on the other side. Once again, he finds himself fighting through hell and fire to get his brother back, enlisting the help of an ex-State Alchemist, searching for a less bloody way of opening the Gate. Gaining knowledge of the Key, Edward begins searching for a way to locate the Key, his new companion, Violet McCloud, constantly pulling at his curiosities.**

**Disclaimer:**

**I do not own FullMetal Alchemist, but this plot is purely my own design.**

**Chapter Three- The Prodigy Vs. The Infamous  
**

The feral, wild creature towered over the ebony-haired girl, her back resting on the ground of the station, silver-violet eyes slowly opening to peer up at the creature. Watching as the silver-tinted, black-coated animal leaned down, its muzzle moving closer to Violet's exposed throat, Ed's mind swarmed with several scenarios. Slipping off the white glove from his right hand, he raised his arms, his eyes focusing on the animal towering over the ex-State Alchemist.

"Vi!" a slightly familiar voice called out, causing his hands to freeze, inches from clapping together.

Ed's gaze was pulled to the trio racing over to the girl, who stared blankly at the animal. Immediately, Ed recognized the petite brunette racing toward them, her bright hazel eyes warm and accepting. Following closely behind her, trailed a taller brunette, her hair pulled into a plaited braid, rich brown eyes peppered with cinnamon. Racing beside the taller brunette ran a grinning man, barely of twenty, deep, rich red bangs brushing over his ice-blue eyes. Immediately, a series of giggles pulled FullMetal to glance at his companion, the wolf towering over her running its tongue along her face, elicting the giggles as she fought to bat them away.

Getting the chance to push the animal off of her, Violet stood, brushing off her trench coat only to be caught in a three-way embrace. Ed smirked at the irritation flickering amongst the unfocused eyes before the three let go. The annoyance didn't leave the gaze as the three began speaking at once, cutting each other off constantly. The girl closed her eyes, pressing a hand to her temple and almost instantly her friends fell silent.

"Who's the pipsqueak?" the young red-head asked, glancing Ed over with an assessing gaze.

Ed found himself cut off mid-rant when the red-head flinched as Violet punched his shoulder, "That _pipsqueak_ happens to be the FullMetal Alchemist," the three tensed up, shoulder straightening, "also known as Edward Elric."

Three pairs of human eyes glanced at him, joined with the sharp-emerald gaze of the wolf sitting obediently at Violet's feet, "I take it you heard of me?" The three nodded, "Who are you guys?"

"This is Katherine Willows," Ed nodded, already having realized that, "The other girl is Lauren Green, and this ass is Aiden Hallows."

"And the wolf?" Ed questioned, looking down at the animal.

Violet knelt beside the wolf, hand moving to pat the graceful beast between its ears, "This is my most pleasant companion, Kayden. He's been by my side for far longer than anyone thought to be possible."

"You tamed a wild animal?"

A cynical smirk appeared on Violet's lips, "A free spirit can never be tamed. Kayden is free to come and go as he pleases, but he always manages to come back to me." The girl pressed a kiss to the nose of the beast before standing upright once more, "Now, what was all that shit you were trying to say?"

"We arrived in Puenimos just in time for their annual Festival and with the Festival comes..."

Violet sighed, "A tournament of some kind."

Aiden grinned widely, "Not just any tournament. This one is an Alchemy Battle."

Ed's head snapped up at the words, Violet also moving to stand straighter, "Alchemy? Strange. Let me take a wild guess and say that Lauren once again forged my signature?" As the tall brunette nodded, Ed smirked as Violet sighed in defeat before holding a hand to the red-head, "Fine. Hand them over and I'll do it."

Ed's eyebrows shot up as Aiden handed the girl a cigarette, to which he lit after it settled between her lips, "Alchemy, huh? Anyone can join?"

Ed's words started yet another argument. Lauren insisted it would be a battle of the ages. Katherine argued that it was a bad idea. Aiden looked back and forth as the two shot back volleys of arguments. A shrill whistle from Ed's right caused a ringing sensation to form in his ear. Violet let out a stream of gray smoke before motioning to him.

"Did either of you ask, Ed, if he even wanted to?"

At the looks, Ed found himself rubbing the back of his head, "I'm not sure if I should-"

"Yeah, FullMetal is probably rusty from being away from Alchemy for so long," Aiden interrupted.

Seething at the red-headed man, Ed sneered, "I said I'm not sure if I should, not that I wouldn't."

Lauren clapped happily, "I can see it now. The intense battle between the prodigy FullMetal Alchemist and the infamous FinalStrike Alchemist. We should sell tickets."

Violet shook her head, obviously used to her friend's antics. Ed couldn't help but chuckle at the hyperactive brunette. She reminded him of someone, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it just yet. The golden-haired Alchemist soon found himself following the group through the crowded streets, his eyes frequently traveling to his silent companion, her eyes shut as she moved through the crowd, dodging and shifting as to not touch any strangers. Now that is weird. That moment Ed found himself wondering if she always avoided touching people unless necessary. As Katherine, who insisted that he called her Kat, showed him where to sign up for the tournament, he listened as Kat told him about meeting Violet many years ago, when they were still kids. Was she always traveling?

"McCloud!" a voice greeted, causing Ed to look up from the forms.

A tall man with light blond hair and easy brown eyes made his way toward the black and purple clad girl. As he filled out his form, he listened as Violet greeted the man, not like she greeted her friends, but it was obvious that she held some sense of respect for the man. Violet must be a frequent visitor to the town, or maybe it was once her home?

"Hey, McCloud, did you catch the strange storm last week?" the man questioned, obviously hinting at something.

Violet seemed to catch onto the man's meaning, because she nodded, "I did. I was caught up in it on my way through Central. Heaviest rain I've seen for a few years. Anyone ever find out where it originated from?"

"Yeah. A lot of people say it headed East from beyond the boundaries of Lorien City," the man responded, to which Violet moved to tug playfully on the ears of the wolf, which twitched downward. "Hey, you're staying for the tournament, right?"

Violet fixed Lauren with a side glance, "I wasn't informed of entering the tournament until I arrived a few minutes ago."

"Awesome. Can't wait to see you back in action. Remember if you need anything, you know where I can be found," the blond man stated, waving at Violet, who nodded.

The blond man disappeared within the crowd of people and the silence that followed was cut off as Aiden threw an arm over Violet's shoulders. Dragging the ebony-haired girl through the crowded streets, Ed smiled warmly as the girls tugged him along, the group chattering as they looked amongst the shops. Ed watched as Aiden pulled Violet into a weapon shop and immediately, the red-haired man seemed attracted to the many blades. A sword with a beautifully ornamented hilt was soon in Aiden's hands and Ed found himself mesmerized as the red-head moved with a series of swift and practiced moves.

"What do you think, Vi?" Aiden asked, placing the blade in the girl's hand.

With a series of twirls, swipes and carefully poised strikes, Violet turned to the red-head and glared, "It's awful. The decorative hilt causes it to become heavy on the back end, and if it was to be used, the fighter would have to change up his center of gravity and his center of balance in order to use it. His strikes would become slower and would have less power behind them." Violet tiled her head to the man running the booth, "This is just a decorative item, is it not?"

The man smiled warmly, "That it is, young miss. You seem to know your swords very well."

"I studied swordsmanship when I was younger out of pure interest of sport," Violet replied, handing the weapon over, hilt extended to the man, blade resting against the underside of her forearm.

Ed quirked an eyebrow. So she liked swords. Was it really out of interest of sport, or did she have a reason to learn how to fight at a young age? Ed inwardly sighed. This girl was the biggest puzzle he had ever come across. Aiden pouted before pulling the girl out of the stand, Ed following closely. Meeting up with the girls, who peered at beautifully hand-crafted jewelry, the group headed out of the crowded streets. Arriving at a large mansion, Lauren opened the door and smiled warmly at Ed and Violet.

"You guys make yourselves at home. Bedrooms are up the staircase and down the left hall. I'm sure you guys would like to rest before the competition begins."

So Lauren lived here? Ed wondered if her family was wealthy. It seemed like it from the large house. Beautiful artwork mounted the walls as he made his way down the left hall. Taking one of the rooms, he set down his suitcase, he laid back on the bed. Closing his eyes, his thoughts swirled around the fight later. Did Lauren honestly think the final match would be against him and Violet? What elements did she prefer? Did she favor her left or her right? Why did she seem hesitant to enter the tournament?

The sun began setting below the horizon. Having surpassed many of his competition, Ed found himself getting ready for the final match. Sure enough, Violet was his opponent. He had been unable to watch any of her matches, since two fields were used and each field held about eight fights to determine who would become the finalist. Walking out to the field, his eyes became fixated on the girl across the grounds. Her thick black hair was pinned up in a strange, messy bun. Her trench coat was gone and the sleeves of her black undershirt were hidden underneath a pair of purple-trimmed black gauntlets.

"The final match is about to begin. Fighting in black and red, we have Edward Elric. Fighting in black and purple, we have a returning champion from two years ago, Violet McCloud!" Ed quirked an eyebrow at the words, "Fighters ready." Ed nodded just as the girl across the field did, "Fight!"

Ed didn't hesitate as he rushed toward the girl. Her body moved into a strange fighting stance and easily dodged the fist aimed for her cheek. Easily moving into another strike, Ed brought his right leg around, watching as the girl did an impressive hand spring in order to dodge the blow. A few minutes of her dodging his blows, Ed needed to find a way to get her to stand still. Clapping his hands before pressing them to the ground, the ground under her shook and he watched as the girl flipped out of the way of a earthy spike shooting from under her. His continuous assult didn't seem to hinder her as she continued flipping and dodging out of the way of the spikes.

A fist of automail connected with her stomach as a spike dropped to the ground, his move catching her off guard. The fierce blow sent her flying back toward the wall beneath the stands. Flipping her body around easily, her back toward the ground, her arms crossed over her chest as her feet connected with the wall. Ed watched in slight awe as the girl pushed off the wall and ducked under the would-have-been tackle. Hearing the familiar sound of an array activating, he turned only to dodge a silver blade. A smirk appeared on his lips, even as his mind raced with wonder as to where she hid such a blade. Clapping his hands together, his right arm formed into his personal blade, which he used to block the oncoming strike. Being able to use more of his momentum, he freed the blade from her grasp, sending it flying and before he could react, the girl dropped to the ground, the back of her leg connecting with both of his feet.

As Ed moved back to his feet, he watched as she performed a series of hand springs to place distance between them, "You don't think you're the only one able to use a blade, do you? At least I can't lose mine."

A smirk formed on her lips as her arms crossed over her chest, her left hand overlapping her right. He watched with narrowed eyes as she pulled a simple blade-less hilt from her gauntlet. Her brow narrowed in concentration as she twirled the hilt and with a crack, a sound he associated with Mustang, the once blade-less hilt became a sword of flame. Ed didn't get a moment to assess the possibility of this act as he dodge the hot blade, his blade moving to swipe at her mid-section. Springing away again, she landed near the once bladed hilt. Picking up the hilt, she twirled it again and Ed's eyes widened as water began forming at the base of the hilt. As it formed into a shape of a blade, it froze instantly.

Holy shit! Ed blocked and dodged the lethal blades of fire and ice. He wasn't sure how long he had been forced into defense, but after a long moment of fighting, he moved after blocking one of her attacks and a crack forced him to look down at his automail blade, a small crack having formed. His eyes narrowed. How the hell? His automail was nearly indestructible. Sure, there were times he found himself in need of repairs, but that was usually because of upfront, deadly blasts. What did she do? Wait...metal, no matter how strong, has a melting point. As well as a freezing point.

'She's forcing it too heat up and cool at a fast pace, forcing it to break,' Ed realized just as a foot slammed into the side of his head, sending him sprawling to the ground.

Moving to his feet, he clapped his hands together and slammed them to the ground, watching as the ground clamped around her ankles. Moving quickly, Ed rushed at the girl, who's blades lost their elemental forms, her hands slamming the blade-less hilts into the earth around her ankles. Ed's fist connected with her stomach as an earth-crafted blade swiped past his face. The two fell back from each other, their breathing labored as they stared down each other.

Damn, she was good. Ed's eyes followed her left hand, that moved to her stomach, her eyes staring at him unfocused as always.

"I give."

Surprise filled the entire audience. It wasn't that the prodigy, Edward Elric that said it. It wasn't that the infamous, Violet McCloud that said it. Surprise filled the audience with silence as the words left both of their lips. Ed knew the only way either one of them would win would be if they took the simple competition to the next level. He didn't want to seriously hurt her. The glint in her eyes showed that she had similar reasons for calling a forfeit in her favor. As the announcer began his long winded speech about the 'amazing' fight, Ed took notice of Violet approaching him, stopping just a foot away from him.

"I can see what caused Alphonse to be so proud of you," Violet said passively, and to his surprise, she extended her hand.

Ed glanced down at the gloved hand. In the past few days of being with her, she hadn't even shaken Mustang's hand, and she spoke about him with a sense of respect. Ed swallowed the lump in his throat as his inhuman hand gently clasped her smaller hand. The difference between metallic and human caused him to look up at her. Her pale, round face unmarred by any disturbances except for the small, barely noticeable scar on her left temple. Looking over her features, he wondered if the rest of her, which she keeps well covered from view, looked as smooth and untainted as her face.

The change of his thoughts seemed to fill the air, Violet gently releasing his hand, "I can see why Mustang and your friends speak highly of you. I've never seen someone wield two different elements at the same time. How did you do it?"

A smirk formed on the girl's full lips, "Some tricks are not to be explained, Edward. I'm sure you don't want people always asking how you can perform Alchemy without any arrays."

Ed didn't bother replying, his own lips slipping into a smirk of his own. Maybe Mustang was right in the head after all when he asked this blind, fierce Alchemist to help him find his brother. Maybe, just maybe, this girl will be able to help him after all. As they exited the field, the duo were greeted by the excited faces of the most insane trio of friends Ed had ever come across. Ed wondered how the three and Violet became friends in the first place. Kat, being the soft-at-heart girl seemed to be the voice of reason. Lauren, or Ren as she liked to be called, seemed to always look for something crazy and adventurist to do. Aiden seemed to be the instigator in most arguments between the two, but also seemed as loyal as the wolf tagging along beside Violet. How did Violet fit in with these three? She didn't seem bothered by their loud, obnoxious behavior. She didn't try to dissuade them from their paths, nor did she ever ignore their words. She didn't join in with the arguments, but actually seemed amused by them.

Comfortably back in Ren's house, Ed laid back on the couch, his head falling back as he stared at the ceiling. The silence wasn't strained, or awkward in any fashion. His thoughts swirled in his mind, most of the questions repeating, "So, how did you guys all become friends?"

The group fell silent and Violet's unfocused gaze moved from the head of the wolf resting in her lap and moved to rest on the ceiling above her, her eyes softening, "We've known each other the majority of our lives. We just grew closer the day my little brother died."


End file.
